Punchline
The killing of Ermin Sr.
By Ermin Garcia Jr.
LAST Friday, May 20, 2016, marked the 50th death anniversary of my father, Ermin Sr., the founding editor-publisher of Sunday PUNCH. Those who had developed the habit of reading the paper in the 60s do remember what happened on that fateful day in 1966.
But I am certain the Millennial generation today could not possibly know or understand his violent death’s impact on the practice of journalism in Pangasinan and in the rest of the country. Perhaps besides being familiar with the Ermin Garcia St. along EDSA in Cubao District, Quezon City, nothing really comes to mind about him. I’m even certain that many continue to wonder, on seeing the name Ermin Garcia painted on a waiting shed, whether the guy was a boy scout, a policeman or a soldier who died a heroic death to deserve a street named after him.
So when I was asked on several occasions who and what my namesake was, they couldn’t comprehend why a journalist in this day and age could be heralded a hero in this country, especially in the present context when killing journalists is almost as common as soldiers being waylaid in Mindanao.
* * * * *
BADGE OF HONOR. Allow me to share my own view of his death after 50 years.
My father was the first journalist in the country who was shot and killed in his editorial office in the early years of the Marcos era. In those days, the killing of a newspaperman was unheard of. Nobody kills a newspaperman, especially a journalist in a small city like Dagupan City at the time. (Actually, a journalist in Cebu was killed a year earlier but the circumstances were not fully known). In Ermin Sr.’s case, a town councilor from Lingayen sought him out in his office one stormy day with one thing in mind – to stop the publication of a news report about his involvement in the payroll-padding racket in his town.
The politician, a protégé of a Malacañang senior official, was armed and so were two of his henchmen. He pumped three bullets in my father’s chest when my father flatly rejected his demand. There were the first hand accounts of my father’s visitor in his office that time and two of his office staff.
All the Manila dailies, magazines, news radio rallied to his cause and lent pressure on President Marcos to have the gunman arrested. And Mr. Marcos did just that. He issued a shoot-to-kill order, and the councilor surrendered after 3 days in hiding.
Ermin Sr.’s death could have had a chilling effect but it didn’t. On the contrary,it marked the beginning of a new era, an era of fearless journalists who want to make a difference. Community journalists and radio commentators embraced the advocacy against corruption and injustice, abuses and malpractices. But as my dad’s example had shown, it didn’t take long before more journalists began taking bullets from the corrupt and abusive men in government. This kept on until our country became one of the countries in the world where the practice of journalism was considered hazardous and extremely dangerous.
The only consolation that those brave and selfless men and women in the journalism practice found and accepted, was the thought that to be killed while defending press freedom and fighting corruption is a badge of honor.
As Ermin Sr. correctly cited in his inaugural speech as president of the Pangasinan Press and Radio Club a year before he was gunned down: “A hero newspaperman is a dead newspaperman.”
Let not the deaths of our brothers and sisters in journalism be all in vain. Let’s keep the advocacy alive.
* * * * *
THE WAR IS ON. Our newly elected local officials are already all on notice by President-elect Mayor Rody.
He has made it extremely clear that there will be no compromises in the war vs illegal drugs. The campaign, he said, will not be sole concern of the police. Governors, mayors, and legislators in the local levels will be expected to be pro-active.
More importantly, we have a President that understands why the barangay kapitans have to man the frontlines.
Those who refuse to move and act for their communities will be suspected as protectors of the drug syndicates.
There is no doubt that the LGUs of Dagupan, Urdaneta, San Carlos and Alaminos, considered the main hubs for drug distribution in Pangasinan know too well who in their communities are either protecting or heavily involved in the distribution behind the drug lords.
In Dagupan, I believe PDEA and the city police have their eyes and ears already glued on Barangays Bonuan Binloc, Bonuan Gueset, Bonuan Boquig, Barangay 2 and 3, and Pantal.
The marching order is: “Shoot to kill if drug suspects resist arrest!” I couldn’t agree more!
* * * * *
BACK TO MR. MBM, AGAIN. I am informed of the daily ranting of ‘Nicanor O. Melecio, MBM’ in his Facebook account, spewing venom in my direction all because I published the evidence of plagiarism (submitted by anonymous city hall employees) that Mr. MBM committed.
I’ve been told Mr. MBM liberally called me names, from being a philanderer to a being a rascal, immoral, pretender, etc., to the extent of invoking names of prominent people who he claims share his impressions of me. I guess his MBM degree did not teach him anything about accountabilities for libeling people. (Note: I say “I’ve been told… informed…” because Mr. MBM has made certain only his FB friends can read his posts, so that excludes me).
Obviously, by limiting his privacy, he feels he’s free to tell all the falsehoods about me to better shield himself from being made accountable for his acts of shameless plagiarism and abuses heaped on the hapless city hall employees.
The latest from the city hall’s grapevine is that a young intern doing time at the PARMC is facing a possible serious cyber libel complaint. He was ordered to post a statement calling two councilors corrupt in order to curry favor with the mayor, a statement that the intern could not have possibly done on his own. Tsk-tsk!
To Mr. MBM: You can do your worst with your lying and scheming but nothing will stop the city hall workers (and I) from doing what’s right for the city. As I write this piece, I know that several city hall employees whom you had maltreated, verbally used and manipulated for your purposes are preparing to expose you further for what you are. Watch out for these in this corner as I get them.
For instance: What monster would force a lowly office janitor to wash his soiled underwear that’s full of shit? Indeed, Mr. MBM, what monster would do that and invoke protection of the mayor? Pray tell. I’m sure Mayor Belen can use some useful education from someone with ‘MBM’ appended to his name.
Unfortunately for Mayor Belen, her continued seeming indifference to the employees’ plight and lament is already slowly taking a toll on her administration. Not good!
At the rate things are going, Mayor Belen doesn’t need to bungle her work to lose her constituents’ support. Her political enemies are simply praying for to keep Mr. MBM as her key consultant directing PARMC until 2019!
P.S. I was told that Mr. MBM already tried to cover-up his work of plagiarism by finally giving proper credit to the group that did the original design. Good? Nope! Because he is sorely wanting in professionalism and competency, he gave credit to a wrong group: Archvision. (Pssst Mr. MBM, the original image was done by Visionarch! You goofed again!).
(For your comments and reactions, please email to: punch.sunday@gmail.com)
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